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Guide to Hiking China's Old Road to Shu

This small city about three and a half hours north of Chengdu by busis the hub for a series of wonderful hikes through the surroundingcountryside along shady flagstone roads lined by cypress trees (see Hike 6 under Hike Excerpts). The city itself, although for the mostpart unremarkable, has preserved a small section of its ancient townwhich includes a beautiful 14th century bell-drum tower (below right),the south gate topped by an old gate house (below left), and someoriginal two- and three-story wooden buildings (below middle and tothe right). What remains has been protected in a rather haphazardmanner as cars are still permitted to honk their way through thecrowds along the narrow street which passes under the bell-drumtower and the old building facades have in many cases been transformed by modern additions. The Old Town is still well wortha look nonetheless. Puan is sometimes referred to by its oldname of Jiange.